Statement of Beliefs

In the previous posting, I mentioned a Statement of Beliefs that the church I attend issues to its members.  It is completely scripturally based.  There are some doctrinal beliefs that are non-negotiable, meaning the Bible is very clear on the subject, particularly those involving salvation.  There are others that offer more room for discussion.  I don't want to refer to them as negotiable because that would imply that God's truth is not concrete.  A better way to think about it is that not everything was revealed by to humans by God.  None of these things have any bearing on salvation.

Below is the Statement of Beliefs.  It is my intention to eventually cover each one individually.

God
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe.  Everything has been created by Him and for Him.  God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God.  These three are co-equal.  God is the one living and true God.  He is infinite and perfect in holiness.  God is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and immutable.

Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  He is co-equal and one with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  Jesus was born of a virgin, conceived of the Holy Spirit, and lived a sinless human life.  When Jesus lived upon this earth He was fully God and fully man.  He offered Himself as a substitution, payment and justification sufficient for the sins of all men by dying on the cross, the perfect sacrifice.  He was buried and after three days, He arose from the dead to demonstrate His power over sin and death.  After his literal and physical resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven.  He is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry as Mediator, Intercessor, and Advocate.  Christ will return to judge the living and the dead and to reign as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son.  he is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ.  He also lives in every believer from the moment of salvation.  He is the source of the power for regeneration of the believer, understanding of spiritual truth, and living a life that is pleasing to God.  The Christian is to seek to live under His control daily.

The Bible
The Bible is God's Word, written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Both the Old and New Testament focus on God and the redeeming work of Jesus Christ.  It is fully inspired by God, inerrant, perfect, life giving, and life changing.  It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living.  The Bible is Absolute Truth, the final authority for faith and life.

Man
Man is created in the image of God.  He is the supreme object of God's creation.  Since Adam's disobedience of God, all men are guilty of Adam's original sin, unable to come to God on their own, and have a nature of disobedience towards God, which is called "sin".  This attitude separates man from God.  Only those who have placed their trust in the finished work of Christ are forgiven and adopted as children of God, and they will spend eternity with Him.

Eternity
Man was created to exist forever.  He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation.  To be eternally separated from God is to exist eternally in Hell.  to be eternally in union with Him is eternal life in Heaven.  Because God gives man eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in that salvation for eternity.  Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian.  Man serves God out of a heart of gratiude for the gift of salvation.  It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives this security.

Church
The church is the living spiritual body of Christ.  Christ is the head of the church, which is made up of all born again believers.  The purpose of the church is to glorify God by making disciples through intentional relationships.  The local church is an assembly of believers that comes together for worship, for growth in the image of Christ by the teaching of the Word, for observance of the ordinances, for service using spiritual gifts, for prayer, and for fellowship.

Ordinances (Baptism and Lord's Supper)
The Lord Jesus Christ has instructed two ordinances to the local church, baptism and the Lord's Supper.  Baptism is the action of the believer; the full immersion is a symbol of the union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.  Baptism is the outward symbol of beginning the Christian life.  The Lord's Supper is to be observed repeatedly throughout the Christian's life as a sign of continuing fellowship with Christ, as a remembrance of Christ's sacrifice for the believer's sins.  The bread is broken to symbolize the breaking of Christ's body, and when the cup is poured out,it symbolizes the pouring out of Christ's blood for the believer.

I realize that all of these things are major statements.  You may have or may not have ever thought of any of these ideas quite like that.  While I am sure that these beliefs may be expounded on, I am certain that every statement involved came directly from God's Word, and therefore it must be true.  In future postings, I plan on taking each of these beliefs one by one and demonstrating its truth with scripture.  Remember, these are the non-negotiables.  Anyone who tries to convince you of a biblical belief contrary to on of these is trying to deceive you.

Lord, I pray to You tonight that control my thoughts and speech so that I only put Your truths, not mine, out in public.  Once again, I thank You for the continuing opporunity to learn about them.  May your truths in me shine brighter than all the darkness around me.  Please guide the pastor and staff this week to prepare a lesson that will ultimately make us better disciples,  In Your holy name I pray.  Amen.